Cinémathèque française facts for kids
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| Established | 1936 |
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| Purpose | Film archive |
| Headquarters | 51, Rue de Bercy 75012 Paris, France |
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Key people
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Henri Langlois & Georges Franju (co-founders) |
| Website | www.cinematheque.fr |
The Cinémathèque française (say "See-nay-mah-tek Frahn-sez") is a special French organization. It was started in 1936. This group keeps one of the world's biggest collections of films and movie-related items. It is located in Paris, France. Every day, you can watch films from all over the world there. It's like a huge library and museum for movies!
Contents
History of the Cinémathèque
How the Collection Started
The idea for this amazing collection came from Henri Langlois and Lotte H. Eisner. They started gathering and showing films in the mid-1930s. Langlois worked hard to collect movies. By the start of World War II, he had one of the largest collections anywhere.
Saving Films During War
During World War II, German authorities in France wanted to destroy old films. They ordered that all movies made before 1937 be ruined. But Langlois and his friends were very brave. They secretly moved many films and documents out of occupied France. This way, they kept them safe until the war ended.
A New Home and Famous Visitors
After the war, the French government helped the collection. They gave it a small screening room, staff, and some money. The collection moved to Avenue de Messine. Many important French filmmakers from the 1940s and 1950s visited often. These included Robert Bresson and René Clément.
Later, directors of the French New Wave also learned a lot there. This group of filmmakers changed how movies were made. Famous names like François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard got much of their film education by watching movies at the Cinémathèque.
Recent Changes and Mergers
In 2005, the Cinémathèque française moved to a new building. This new home is at 51 rue de Bercy in Paris. Later, in 2007, it joined with another film organization called the BiFi. This made the Cinémathèque even bigger and better.
The Events of May 1968
A Big Change and Protests
In 1963, the Cinémathèque moved to the Palais de Chaillot. The government gave money for this, but it also meant the government had more control. In February 1968, the government made a big change. They fired Henri Langlois, who had founded the Cinémathèque.
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This decision made many people very angry. Famous French filmmakers and actors formed a group to support Langlois. People like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut joined them. Even international filmmakers like Charles Chaplin supported Langlois. They organized many protests.
Students Join the Cause
These protests grew bigger. Young people, especially students, joined in. They felt the government was too strict and didn't understand younger generations. These demonstrations became part of a much larger student revolt. This widespread unrest happened across France in May 1968. Before then, the government gave in to the protests about the Cinémathèque. They brought Henri Langlois back as the head in April 1968.
Location of the Cinémathèque
The Cinémathèque française has moved several times over the years. It even had a fire at one of its old locations. In 2005, it found its current home. This building is at 51, rue de Bercy in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It's a modern building designed by a famous American architect named Frank Gehry.
The Cinémathèque also runs a museum inside its new building. It's called the Musée de la Cinémathèque. This museum used to be known as the Musée du cinéma Henri-Langlois. It shows the history of movies and how they are made.
Leaders of the Cinémathèque
The Cinémathèque française has important people who help run it.
- President: Costa-Gavras is a well-known film director. He has won many awards for his movies.
- Director: Frédéric Bonnaud used to be a critic and radio host.
- General Secretary: Jean-Michel Arnold has been in this role since 1981. He is seen as carrying on the work of Henri Langlois.
Tributes to the Cinémathèque
The Cinémathèque française has been honored in many ways. In 1970, a special event called "Cinémathèque at the Metropolitan Museum" happened in New York. Seventy films were shown over 35 nights. Henri Langlois chose these films because they were important to movie history.
The Cinémathèque is also mentioned in books and movies. For example, it appears in François Truffaut's 1968 film Stolen Kisses. It is also in the 2002 novel The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster. The Cinémathèque and the events of 1968 are a big part of the 1988 novel The Holy Innocents. This book was also made into the 2003 film The Dreamers.
See also
- Cinematheque
- The International Federation of Film Archives
- List of film archives
- Association des Cinémathèques Européennes - ACE (Association of European Cinematheques)
- List of works by Frank Gehry
